I find it interesting that none or few people have covered the simmering shift of tectonic plates in the way the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will vote or cooperate with the other parties at local government level.

After the local government elections in 2016, the EFF announced that it was not going to vote or enter into a coalition with the African National Congress (ANC) because it was corrupt. Julius Malema never missed an opportunity to label the ruling party as “muso wa magodu” (kleptocratic government).

Aowe mmusho wa magodu Aowe!!

Malema boldly stated that his party was choosing the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Jozi, Tshwane and Mogalestaad. He called the DA a “better devil”. Indeed, the DA was able to form governments in these three municipalities. First, it was Mogalestaad that experienced problems and chaos, when EFF councillors decided to go against their national leadership and supported the ANC’s toppling of a DA mayor. To date, the city is under the leadership of the ANC without Malema’s support.

Just like a powerful earthquake, although its epicenter was supposedly in Port Elizabeth – tremors hit Jozi and Tshwane very hard. With debris and dust all over the place, the opposition politics in SA is taking a serious twist. The EFF moaned that the DA was disrespectful of smaller parties after it ruffled General Holomisa’s feathers in Nelson Mandela Bay. Thereafter, the EFF decided to stay away from meetings in Johannesburg and Pretoria in protest.

Just yesterday, Malema made an interesting comment that,

““We don’t care about these metros; whether the ANC takes them, whether the DA takes them, it’s none of our business. “We will from time to time vote based on issues on the table [but] our vote for the DA is no longer guaranteed.” He said, adding that if the ANC put a solid proposal on the table, the EFF would vote for it.”

This comes as a surprise considering that Malema planted a seed in the minds of his followers that the ANC was untrustworthy, corrupt and kleptocratic. He called it the “worst devil” that had to be removed from power through “whatever means possible.” He also made a bold prediction that the ANC could be out of power as early 2019. He added that his party will vote for the ANC to remove the ANC.

If you interact with EFF members anywhere, they seem to enjoy their leader’s gloat. The ANC became enemy number one. Their party upped the ante in parliament where it not only disrupted sessions but it also collaborates with other opposition parties in their quest to remove President Jacob Zuma. It is embroiled in court cases in which it continues with its targeted approach to see out Zuma.

The big wheel is turning. Or is it getting cold outside the ANC?

It is unclear what Malema’s next move will be after the fall out with the DA. Others labeled him a strategist who knows how to play political games. But his gravitation towards the ANC marks the sudden change of heart, and quite disingenuous too.

What is it that Malema knows that we don’t know?

Maybe he feels that the winds of change are taking shape in the ANC. Therefore he fancies a comeback after the national elective conference in December. Or he wants to be part of a splinter party that is reportedly being cooked should the outcomes of the conference not favour his favorite faction?

The mysteries of the EFF continue as Malema wants to prove once and for all that he probably has serious intentions of handing back all the metros to the ANC. Apparently, the ANC has opportunistically tabled a motion of no confidence vote to remove Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba. It will be interesting to see if the EFF will support it.

What do EFF faithful think at this moment: Confused, lost or elated?

Or is the EFF a lost cause itself?

It would be interesting to see how desperate the ANC will be to get into bed with tempered Malema and his red brigade. If it chooses to fall for Malema’s overtures, that will be the end of ANC in the affected metros. Malema will dump them as he did with the DA.

I feel for EFF supporters and also wish to congratulate Malema for attaining his second qualification.

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Hence if we look closely at what sparked his dissent from the DA and his sudden romance towards the ANC, there is one common factor: Anti Zuma Factions within the ANC.

In the Nelson Mandela Bay debacle two aspects are at play:
1) An ANC region that is anti Zuma.
2) A UDM that is a biggest EFF ally in anti Zuma Campaign.

Gayton Mckenzie revealed this when his party, Patriotic Alliance raised a motion of no confidence against Bobane, when the ANC in that council FAILED TO SUPPORT THAT MOTION which basically according to Gayton, should have been seen by the ANC Mandela Bay as a retaliation against the UDM for raising a motion of no confidence against President Zuma in Parliament. Thus, they should have been the first to support the motion but they did not.
The ANC N Mandela bay did not support this motion given that they approved of what the UDM was doing in parliament and hoped it succeed against Zuma.

This is why Gayton’s PA checkmated both the ANC and the EFF in that region using their very own strategy.

Coming to Gauteng, Malema has probably acknowledged that he has now enough allies in the ANC who are anti Zuma to accomplish his dream of EFF-ANC consolidation.

There is no secret almost half if not all of Gauteng ANC PEC wants to see Zuma gone, a position that gels properly with Malema’s anti Zuma ideology. Hence he saw fit to come back home.

However judging by the views expressed by the EFF student command at UJ during Pravin Gordhan’s anti corruption Roadshow, many young EFF students may not be on the same page with their commander in chief.

Firstly let’s congratulate Julius Malema on his second academic achievement.

Maybe this degree has finally changed his way of reasoning & brought some political maturity.

However its my view that the perceived turn around from supporting or voting with the DA has nothing to do with him supporting the ANC.

Its purely for his party`s reputation and protection, which may be a little too late. However if he piggy backs on the Anc now in these Metros he might retain his support in 2019.

Will he vote with the Anc in jhb? He most certainly will. It will be purely for political scoring.

Julius Malema has realized that targeting the Anc will result in the EFF going the same direction as Cope.

Therefore the alternative is to target the DA & break their support, that way his chances of gaining ground to become the official opposition party is more realistic than trying to oust the Anc.

Will the Anc go into a coalition with EFF in the mentioned Metros? Never!
Not now neither in the future.

The Anc will only need the EFF and other small parties in the event it does not achieve the two thirds majority needed in 2019 to amend certain aspects of the constitution.

The lost metros lost to the Anc will be regained in 2019 without any need for a coalition!

Its already a proven fact that the DA cannot govern these Metros. They will remain with Cape Town till such time the Coloured people come to terms that they are being used as Voting Cattles & nothing more.